What Sort Of Traveler Are You?

There are many different sorts of traveler. You may find that as you give in to that travel itch you morph from one sort of traveler to another. Your traveling style dictates the sorts of countries you’ll explore, the types of activities you’ll take part in and even the cuisine you will eat. Take a look at these four different types of traveler and see which one best describes you. I know that I personally have and continue to flow between these four categories.

One of my experience-hunter trips // Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru

The Experience Hunter

Much less grotesque than it sounds, the experience hunter is a traveler who aches to discover every sight, sound, smell and taste known to man within any given country. They will plan a trip to within an inch of its life and ensure that every minute of every day is accounted for. They want to set foot on the same trails as the Incas did thousands of years ago. Experience Hunters want to sit in on the same Buddhist ceremony as the ancient monks before them. They will always have the sturdiest walking boots, they are up early every morning, and they record their memories through photographs and video. Less of a selfie fan their photos are made up of landscapes, vistas and other people.

One of My Adrenaline Junkie Trips // Canyoning in Dalat, Vietnam

The Adrenaline Junkie

For the thrill-seeking traveler, it’s less about where they travel to and more about what they do when they are there. Their number one priority is to embark on a lifetime of adventure travel. One summer you may hear of them white water rafting near the Grand Canyon. Then, next winter they’re bungee jumping from Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa and the following month they’re hot-footing it to Venezuela to trek around Angel Falls. They may not plan quite as much as the hunter, but they are focused and determined to spend their time away from home partaking in as many adrenaline inducing moments as possible.

The Tourer

Perhaps the most touristy, but also easiest way of traveling is the tourer. Perhaps less confident than other travelers, or just looking to simplify their travels, the tourer will sign up for any tour. They enjoy relinquishing the planning to a professional at every available opportunity – especially when exploring multiple countries in a short amount of time. Although tours are often linked to newbie travelers, there are many great tour companies that allow their tourers to dig a little deeper. Also, you can personalize your tour a bit during free time.

Our Nomad Adventure // A couple of shots from this current full time travel adventure we’re on

The Nomad

Frequently on the move and without a place to call home, the nomad trudges confidently across continents seeking out new and bewildering sights. They may head for the touristy path too, but then also go off-grid to destinations that are less- visited. Traveling light and often alone, the mysterious aura of the nomad makes them a rare breed. Nomads will go where the winds take them, frequently changing plans. Luckily for me, I found a fellow-nomad, so Matt and I get to give this nomadic thing a go together. It’s definitely a great mix of the other three styles, just also long term. We make a good use of day tours, our intuition and loads of planning that we’re a-okay with changing at the drop of a hat.

You may find that there are facets of each of these travel styles that you fit into. Try and take the best aspects of each sort of traveler. Also try to be the most responsible traveler you can when heading out on your next wanderlust-filled adventure. Based off these, though, what sort of traveler are you?

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Paige Wunder is currently traveling the world full-time with her husband. When she's not hiking in the mountains or planning a backpacking trip, she's taking a road trip or sampling some delicious craft beer. She loves sharing her adventures both big & small.

I think I’m something in the middle between the experience hunter and the adrenaline junkie. While I’m definitely not going to jump off a cliff for the sake of an Instagram pic, I still love to discover and to learn about the countries I’m visiting. Besides… I love my sturdy walking boots!

I think I’m pretty much of a nomad, too. I am definitely not an adrenaline junkie! I do love experiencing a culture like the locals do, and I find that tours can often be a good way to get a real overview of a place.

Haha. I totally understand that. I’ve had a lot of those trips, especially in my past. My husband is more of a relaxer, and it has definitely rubbed off on me. But since we’re currently traveling full-time, it’s nice to relax too.

That’s why I’ve actually moved a smidge away from Experience Hunter because I’ve lost the will to spend all of that time researching! Haha! But I actually want to get back there a bit in the near future so I can see as much as possible in a destination.

Nisha

November 26, 2017 at 3:04 am

It is interesting. I am one or the other during some of my travels.Overall I think I am a bit of all types. It all depends where, when and how, It is difficult for me to slot myself in a category mentioned in the posts or even others not mentioned in the post.

I think I am mainly a Nomad, though I also have a bit of an adrenaline junkie in the mix! And in Europe I have chosen to be a tourer as cities are compact and a guided tour allows to see more and get all the details and history. Great descriptions!

I think I’m in-between a tourer and the experience hunter. I am more interested in general in understanding a place or its history, than just spending time finding the “must see” things and staring at monuments. I’m definitely not an adrenaline junkie, and although I have had a few adrenaline moments in my travels, I don’t tend to seek them out.

I’m everything except for the Nomad! I love immersive experiences, adventure and adrenaline experiences (up to a point!), and good tours. Slow travel is my particular favorite – so much to see, we need to stop and enjoy the views and smell the roses. 😉

I’m a nomad for sure! And I’m like you – I found a fellow nomad to journey around with me! We’ve been on the road for the past 14 months but before that we were working and filling our apartment with things instead of going on amazing adventures and it was driving me crazy! You should turn this blog post into some sort of a quiz – some people may be surprised at the result!

I think we don’t fit into any 1 category but is a mix of all these. At times we are like a tourer whereas another time we are nomads or in the adventure zone. We like to travel slow and experience the local culture.

We fancy that our travel style does not fall into a straitjacket as I guess most of us do. But seriously we too are all of these at different times. We love to experience adventure, if we are at a place like the Taj Mahal, we unabashedly become gawking tourists. So it is all a matter of time and place, that is what we think.

mags

I Haven’t Been Everywhere, But It’s On My List

Meet the Wanderer

As a lover of all things travel, Paige Wunder is falling in love with the world and its cultures one day at a time. She's a road trip aficionado, an avid hiker, lover of learning + culture and an all around wanderess. Follow along on her adventures - big and small - across this beautiful world.

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